MARIO MARINO -is a travel portrait photographer, Austrian born and based in Germany. Marino has been photographing various peoples in their native lands since 2000. His work is exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. Amsterdam, Basel, Berlin, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Brusells, Cologne, Dubai, Edinburgh, Gent, London, Munich, Nijmegen, North Wales, Paris, Salzburg, Schwaz, Stockholm & Würzburg.Central to his Pictures is a fascinating portraiture in which he maintains an empathetic connection to his subjects. Each image conveys a sense of simple joy of being and living in the world. “To me it’s essential to show the beauty and dignity of people. Empathy and walking is the key to my work. A normal day consists of about 8 - 10 hours walking around looking for people (15 to 20 kilometers a day). I try to read people’s lives, the circumstances they live. I’m fascinated by their cultural background and identity ”.